Spectacular beach polo at Julius Baer World Cup in Sylt, Germany

Jun 12, 2012

The Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup, Sylt, 2012

Held in Sylt, Germany’s picturesque and probably its most fashionable holiday destination, The 2012 Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup gathered six teams in perfect weather conditions. The Final featured the tournament’s two highest handicap players with Germany’s Thomas Winter (five) playing for the Lanson team up against Argentinean Gastón Maiquez, a three-time winner of the tournament, playing at six.

The match started slowly, with both teams wary of each other, and they went in at the half-way stage 4-3. in favour of Audi. But the action exploded into life in the third chukka, with both teams exchanging quick goals to make it 5-4. to Audi at the end of the third. The fourth was classic; Winter backhanded a long goal to give Lanson the lead, but Christian Grimme responded quickly to retake the lead 6-5.. Audi then scored a further goal and had to fight to keep their lead as the Lanson team mounted an all out attack pulling one goal back to leave it 7-6. going into the final minute. The crowd were standing on tip toes in order not to miss a single stroke, and somehow Audi managed to repel Lanson to maintain their half goal advantage and be crownedJulius Baer Beach Polo World Cup Sylt 2012 Champions.

In the other matches played on the final day, the 3rd / 4th place play-off was won by König Pilsner who defeated Maus Immobilien 6-3, and in the 5th / 6th place play-off, Team Julius Baer was defeated by Schloss Göhrde 6-7 1/2.

This year the winning team was given a beautiful trophy from Tiffany plus a typical Swiss gift of a Jakobs cheese, from the western part of Switzerland.

The island of Sylt has experienced many destructive storms over the years, none more so than in 2011 when many parts of the island were washed away. Its tidal mudflats are now a UNESCO world heritage site, and over 50% of the island is under conservation. The Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup Sylt is regarded as the ideal information platform for the Sylt Costal Protection Foundation in helping to raise awareness and support for the island’s loss of land. At the end of the tournament this year, Julius Baer made a €10,000 donation to the Foundation to enable it to continue the great work which it carries out throughout the year.